MINOTAUR (Improved FIJI
or Colony) Class Cruiser ordered from
Vickers Armstrong at Newcastle on 1st
March
1939
and laid down on 20th July that year under
the 1939 Build Programme. Launched
on 7th August 1941, she was the first RN ship to bear this name. Build was
completed on
3rd
January
1943 and
later the ship transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy. After 1945 she was renamed HM
Canadian
Cruiser QUEBEC.

Deployed
in SW
Approaches for convoy defence
and interception.Transferred
to Mediterranean for
service with 15th Cruiser Squadron.Passage
to Clyde to join joint
military convoy WS31/KMF17 as Ocean
Escort during passagein
the Atlantic for defence
against surface attack by German
warships.

9th
- Sailed
from Malta and covered passage of
invasion convoy during passage to Sicily
withHM
Cruisers ORION, MAURITIUS and
NEWFOUNDLAND, in eastern Mediterranean(Operation
HUSKY).(For
details of HUSKY landings and
support see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELYby
Corelli Barnett
, BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser
and
Naval Staff History).

21st
-
On completion re-commissioned and
manned by RCN.(Note:
Name retained because of
colonial connections.)

30th
-
Passage to UK for completion of work
not possible in US Navy Yard.Nominated
for service in British
Pacific Fleet.

November

After
arrival
took passage to Tyne shipyard.

December

Refit
work in
hand including fit of modem radars.(Note:
Work done included:Type
274 to replace Type 284 for
fire control of forward 6in turrets,Types
277 and 293 instead of Type 272 for
surface
warning and height findingwith
associated identification outfits (IFF).For
details of development and use
of radar see RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse)

30th
- On
completion took passage to Mediterranean
for work-up.

1
9 4 5

January

Commenced
working
up with Fleet in eastern
Mediterranean.Under
repair at
Alexandria after explosion of torpedo
during maintenance.

14th
-
Bombarded Dublon
seaplane base with HM CRUISERS
NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES(RNZN)
and SWIFTSURE (Operation INMATE).(Note:
This were
not very successful due to inexperience
of crew and also technical problems.)

17th
-
Returned to British Forward Base at
Manus with ships of TG111.2.

July

6th
- Transferred
to US 3rd Fleet as part of re-designated
British element Task Force 37 after USNavy
command structure alterations.

16th
- Covered
HMS FORMIDABLE, HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS
IMPLACABLE with HMBattleship
KING GEORGE V, HM
Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES (RNZN)EURYALUS,
HMS GAMBIA and BLACK PRINCE during joint
RN/USN operations andbombardments
of targets in Japan as preparation for
Operation OLYMPIC(Planned
final assault on main islands of Japan.)

20th
-
Refuelled
from USN tankers to reduce delay in
replenishment.

27th
-
Relieved in Task Force 37 by HM
Cruiser ARGONAUT.(Note:
This was because of Canadian
legislation preventing service in
Pacific by anypersonnel
who had not volunteered
for this duty).

August

4th - Passage
to Esquimalt from Pearl Harbour
and returned to RCN
control.

P o s t W a r N o t e s

HMS UGANDA was retained in RCN and renamed HMCS QUEBEC.
She was used as a training
cruiser and carried out training cruises in
the Atlantic. This ship has the
distinction of being the first RCN ship to
sail round Cape
Horn.
She was placed on the
Disposal List about 1960 and arrived at the
breakersí yard in Osaka, Japan on
8th
February 1961.